Army to replace three chiefs of regional military commands

JAKARTA (JP): The Army confirmed yesterday it would replace chiefs of three regional military commands in Sulawesi, Irian Jaya and southern Sumatra later this month.

Army spokesman Brig. Gen. Robik Mukav said that Maj. Gen. Agum Gumelar, an aide for social and political affairs to the Armed Forces commander, has been appointed chief of the Wirabuana military command in South Sulawesi to replace Maj. Gen. Sulatin.

Brig. Gen. Johny Lumintang has been named chief of the Trikora military command in Irian Jaya to replace Maj. Gen. A. Dunidja, while Brig. Gen. Bambang Yudhoyono, currently chief of staff of the Jakarta military command, has been appointed chief of the Sriwijaya military command in South Sumatra to replace Maj. Gen. R. Karyono.

"Only three regional military command chiefs will be replaced. The Army has not planned any reshuffles in the six other regional military commands," Robik said.

He said Army Chief Gen. R. Hartono is scheduled to swear Agum Gumelar in on Aug. 19 in South Sulawesi's capital, Ujungpandang; Johny Lumintang on Aug. 20 in Jayapura, Irian Jaya; and Yudhoyono on Aug. 23 in Palembang, South Sumatra.

He said in a press briefing that Sulatin, Dunidja and Karyono will be appointed senior officers at Armed Forces (ABRI) headquarters while waiting for their new assignments.

The Wirabuana military command oversees four provinces in Sulawesi, Trikora supervises Irian Jaya and Maluku, while Sriwijaya military command is responsible for South Sumatra, Lampung, Bengkulu and Jambi.

Robik also said that Brig. Gen. Safrie Sjamsoedin, currently chief of staff of the Jakarta garrison, has been appointed to replace Yudhoyono as chief of staff of the Jakarta military command. In addition, Col. Suadi Atma of the Tanjungpura military command will replace Lumintang as chief of staff of the Trikora military command.

Agum Gumelar was born in Tasikmalaya, West Java, in 1945. He graduated from the military academy in 1968 and was immediately posted as platoon chief at the Siliwangi military command for a year.

Agum developed his military career during his assignment in the Army's Special Force Command from 1971 to 1993. Among the positions he held during his assignment in the red-beret force were deputy chief of Group Four (1985), deputy assistant and assistant dealing with intelligence (1986-1988) and special forces chief (1992-1993).

Johny Lumintang was born in Manado, North Sulawesi in 1947. He completed his military education in 1970. Between 1978 and 1995, he was assigned to the Jakarta military command and the Army Strategic Reserves Command. He was named chief of the strategic command's air defense brigade in 1990-1992 and chief of the command's first division in 1993 and an assistant to the command chief in 1995.

Lumintang, who is married and has three children, was also former chief of the East Timor military district in 1992-1993. He was appointed chief of staff of the Trikora military command in January 1996.

Bambang Yudhoyono was widely known as a military intellectual during his assignments as a trainer in the Army Strategic Reserves Command and Army's Special Force Command between 1974 and 1981, and at the School for Army Command and Center for Army Infantry in Bandung, West Java in 1982-1985.

Born in Pacitan, East Java in 1949 and graduated from the Military Academy in 1973, Yudhoyono was chief of the infantry battalion of the Udayana military command (1986-1988) and chief of the Yogyakarta military district between 1992-1993.

After leaving the special forces, he was entrusted to lead Indonesia's battalion assigned as a peacekeeping force under the United Nations in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1995.

Yudhoyono is widely viewed as one of three rising stars among Army senior officers. The other two are Let. Gen. Wiranto, strategic command chief and Brig. Gen. Prabowo Subianto, commander of Army special forces.

Robik also said yesterday that ABRI will hold a joint military exercise in September on the Natuna Islands in the South China Sea, deploying over 9,000 personnel and hundreds of war planes and ships from the Army, Navy, Air Force and National Police.

The joint exercise will start Sept. 9 and last for 10 days. It will be supervised by strategic command Chief Lt. Gen. Wiranto. (rms)